Bologna Festival Run 2019 Photos 88 Mile Drive The 2019 Yale Bologna Run was my first run with Jason back home from his long training in Georgia.  Yale is an awesome small rural town in the thumb.  Their one of a kind Bologna Festival was amazing.  Jason LOVES bologna sandwiches.  I ran the 8K and Luke ran the 5K.  The two runs started in different locations and finished at the same spot.  Luke finished before I started which I liked because I could see him finish.  The course was very flat changing from concrete to dirt roads.  It was sunny and hot outside.  Some of the roads seemed to go on forever.  Some of the 5Kers ran with the 8K for a portion of the course.  On a turnaround loop in a subdivision I witnessed a woman cut the 5K course.  It really surprised me.  I've heard of cheating in running events but I have never personally seen it.  I messaged Jason her description and he watched for her.  She finished and rang the PR bell and was about to go home with an age group aw

   LOC Color Run 2019 Photos 14 Mile Drive The 2019 Farmington LOC Color Run was my first color run and Luke's second color run.  Luke’s first color run was his Kindergarten Color Run at Smith Elementary.  My dad watched Ryan and Will while we ran.  The LOC Color Run was AWESOME!  I took every opportunity to get sprayed, especially at the purple station near the finish line.  There were plenty of color spray stations.  They gave participants an option to take a “non-color” paths around sprayers.  An EMS man was running in uniform and got covered.  Luke befriended a boy that he talked with to the finish. They gave us shirts, finisher medals, tie-dye bandanas and sweet shades just for registering.  The start of the run was up hill into downtown.  The race photographer got a great shot of the start from atop the hill.  A lot of the course was through downtown Farmington on Grand River.  After the run we went over and got front row seats at the Founder's Festival parade.  The kids

   Dart for Art 2019 Photos 18 Mile Drive Dart for Art had amazing handmade finisher medals from Ann Arbor artists. I was hoping to get my Athlinks mile time down.  I’ve had a 14 minute mile from my Hot Cocoa classic for years.  Hot Cocoa Classic was only my third official run and it was up a giant ski hill.  I didn't get to run the Dart for Art mile.  I was very thankfully Luke got to run with my friends.  Luke had amazing race pictures!  He looked like a cross country star in them.  The runner next to him in the pictures had the same expression on his face.  They were hilarious.  I do not have that fantastic form.   It was awesome seeing Suzy and her husband timing the race!  I got to see Kristin and Mike too. I did my virtual mile at home at McClumpha Park the next morning so I could hang my medal up.  It ended up being my fastest mile of all time.  It’s too bad it will never be official.  Now I must look for another race with a mile length in the future.    The shirts we got fo

   Traffic Jam'in 2019 Photos 41 Mile Drive I drove out to Grass Lake alone with my parents watching the kids and completely forgot I had registered Luke for the 5K.  The staff at registration asked about him or I wouldn’t have remembered.  I felt so bad. I have never forgotten when I have registered him for a run.  We did a virtual 5K later so he could earn his medal.  I remember turning off the exit ramp and seeing an amazing corn field with the Grass Lake water tower.  The sun was setting and it was very picture worthy.   I got a great parking spot in a shaded neighborhood close to the start line of the race.  The check-in staff were very friendly and had an age group medal on the table.  Running around water is always beautiful and calming.  The course was pretty flat with a good amount of turns.  For this particular race I really wanted an age group award because they were handmade by Ann Arbor Art Fair artists.  A lot of other runners must have had similar feelings because I

   Battle Creek Half Marathon 2019 Photos 99 Mile Drive The 2019 Battle Creek Half Marathon was my second half marathon!  I convinced Jake, a.k.a The Speedy Sloth to join me.  It was an easy run to persuade someone to register for with the awesome race shirts and perks.  Jake and I loved the American colors and city skyline design on the tech T-shirt.  It is one of the best shirt designs of all time.  I did not know Battle Creek would be Speedy Sloth's first half marathon.  It was huge for him to cross over from cycling into long distance running.  I ordered a Battle Creek visor to go with my shirt.  It's something I don't usually do.  I felt compelled to get it with the unique situation and accomplishment of the race. The night before the half I continued the tradition I started in Gaylord and went bowling with the kids and Chris at The Superbowl.  We once again stayed up away too late.  My alarm was set very early in the morning Saturday because I had to pick up Jake on t